Pakistan Security Brief - March 15, 2013

UN says drones violate Pakistani sovereignty; TTP may attack political targets in Islamabad; India suspends visa facility; Pakistani parliament demands release of Guru’s body, India’s parliament passes resolution in protest; IED kills three in Karachi; Six captured in connection with Abbas town bombing; Srinagar attackers found to have Pakistani equipment; India cancels Indo-Pak hockey tournament; Five militants killed in clashes between TTP and AI; 3kg of heroin recovered in Islamabad; World Bank approves $400 million in education aid; Three British Citizens plead guilty to terrorism charges.

Drone Strikes

On Friday, the head of the United Nations (UN) investigatory team on drone strikes and special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson publicly released a statement declaring that drone strikes violate Pakistan's sovereignty. In the report, Emmerson, cited data saying drones in Pakistan caused 400 civilian deaths, confirmed by the Pakistani government, and said Pakistani government has repeatedly told him it does “does not consent to the strikes—a position that has been disputed by U.S. officials.”[1]

Indo-Pak Relations

On Thursday, Indian authorities put a hold on “the group tourist visa facility under the liberalised visa regime,” arranged with the Pakistani government, which they had previously agreed to begin on March 15. Though authorities cited lack of preparations as the cause for the hold, analysts suspect that stressed relations with Pakistan from the Wednesday attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers in Srinagar, Kashmir, is a contributing factor to delaying the visas.[2]

According to a report by The News published on Friday, the National Crisis Management Cell issued a letter to the Inspectors General of Police and chief secretaries of Pakistan’s four provinces, as well as officials in Gilgit-Baltistan, the Sindh and Punjab Rangers, and the Chitral Scouts, stating that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) may target political leaders in Islamabad during the upcoming elections. The report states that the TTP Asmatullah Muavia group will be carrying out attacks and the TTP Abdul Wali group will provide support.[6]

On Friday, three British citizens pleaded guilty to charges of terrorism in London, and have been remanded until sentencing. Richard Dart, Imran Mahmood, and Jahangir Alom were arrested in July after traveling to Pakistan between 2010 and 2012, and accused of planning to commit acts of terrorism.[12]